


Crash

by ProsperDemeter



Series: 20 Days of Holiday Fics [11]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Coming Out, Gen, M/M, May Parker is wonderful, Norman Osborn's A+ parenting, Secret Relationship, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony and May friendship, don't read it, heavy topics very barely brushed on, idek what this is, it's terrible, off screen character death (Norman)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28017234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProsperDemeter/pseuds/ProsperDemeter
Summary: Peter's hiding something.Tony just didn't expect to find out about it on the same day he found out about Norman Osborn's death.
Relationships: Harry Osborn/Peter Parker, May Parker & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: 20 Days of Holiday Fics [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035498
Comments: 16
Kudos: 247





	Crash

**Author's Note:**

> No really this is crap and not worth a read. But, uh... happy day 11 I guess.

There were a few things about Peter Parker that Tony knew for fact. One, he was  _ much _ smarter than he looked. Two, he had a heart of gold. Three, interestingly enough, he  _ hated _ spiders. Four, he hurt much more than he let on. And five, he was  _ hiding _ something from him. 

Typically, Tony knew enough about the kid to know that he should, simply, give him time and he would spill whatever secret it was on his own. Not only was the kid terrible at keeping secrets, but he trusted Tony more than he probably should. He hoped, anyway, that he knew that Tony wouldn’t judge him for anything. Hell, he could suddenly start killing people and Tony would understand that all the bad in the world that this one kid had faced had  _ finally _ broken his heart. And they were good. They had made progress. They trusted each other. 

So  _ what _ was so terrible that Peter had to keep it from him? 

He observed him from across the table, noted the familiar furrow of his brow, the shape of his face that was rapidly losing baby fat, the sudden height gain that had him shooting up inches taller than Tony. He was turning into a man in front of Tony’s wrinkling face. He wasn’t sure if he liked it. 

He  _ definitely _ hadn’t liked it when Peter had resigned from the internship and, instead, taken one at Reed’s office, citing that he was more of a biochemical person than mechanical engineering anyway. He hadn’t liked it when Peter had chosen to stay in New York and go to Empire instead of somewhere like MIT or Stanford - both of which Tony knew he had gotten into. But he had taken both of those bombshells well. Or he  _ thought _ he had anyway. He hadn’t yelled any. Not  _ at _ Peter anyway. May Parker had shut  _ that _ down quick enough and, if she hadn’t, Pepper certainly had. 

“You know you can tell me anything, right kid?” Tony said cautiously, pretended he was more interested in the menu in front of him instead of the curious look that Peter peaked at him. 

“I know, Tony.” His lips were pulled up into a small smile and it was a  _ familiar _ expression that, for some reason, Tony didn’t think he had ever seen on the kid’s face before. But then, how was it familiar? 

He didn’t like it. Tony didn’t  _ like _ not knowing what the root of a problem was. He didn’t do well with problems and tended to obsess over them until they would either go away or get solved. And he  _ really _ didn’t do well when those problems involved people in his life that he cared about. He tapped his fingers on the table and decided to bite the bullet. “Okay then, kid.” The menu slapped down onto the table and Peter raised his eyebrows at the unnecessary show of force. “What’s going on with you?” 

“Nothing’s going on with me?” He placed his own menu, much more gently, on the table in front of him. “What’s going on with  _ you _ ?” 

“Me?” Tony pointed at himself. “Me? Oh no I’m fine. We’re talking about this weird, cagey, hiding something from me thing you’re doing.” Peter’s eyebrows climbed higher. “What is it? Some spider related thing? A job thing?” 

“Nothing is going on, Tony.” 

“I  _ told _ you getting involved with the Bugle was a bad idea. Jamison does shit reporting and even worse at treating his employees well.”

“Everything at the Bugle is fine.” 

“May? May’s okay?” 

“May  _ better _ be okay!” 

“May’s fine.” Tony waved off his concern and kept plowing on. “School then. Did you fail a class? Drop out? Can’t pay the bill?” 

“Should I be insulted?” 

“Did you get a girl pregnant?” 

“ _ No _ .” Peter physically recoiled in time with his phone vibrating on the table. He always kept it on vibrate - the tone of the text alert was too high for him to  _ not _ instantly get a headache. Tony watched May’s photo - from a trip to Connecticut, she was posing with a beluga whale tank behind her at the aquarium. “Wait.” Peter ordered him, scooped up the phone, and stepped away from the table to answer it outside of the restaurant. 

Tony knew it wasn’t because he was worried about Tony overhearing but, rather, because sometimes the other noise became too busy and he had trouble focusing. Tony frowned, huffed, and sat back in his chair with his arms crossed. 

_ What _ was going on with his favorite spider-kid? 

The restaurant door slammed open and, like a hurricane, Peter hurried back in, and grabbed his jacket and wallet with a frenzied look on his face. Tony sat up from his slumped position. “What’s up?” 

“I have to go.” 

“Peter,” Tony grabbed his wrist and Peter shot it a dirty look. He dropped it almost immediately. Whatever mood Peter was in it apparently wasn’t one that wanted Tony’s comfort. “What’s going on, kid?” He fished a twenty out of his own wallet and threw it at the table to pay for their drinks. 

“Norman Osborn’s dead.” 

“What?” Why did that even matter? Tony wracked his brain for any clue and came up blank. As far as Tony was aware, neither Peter nor May were connected with the Osborn family. Not that the news wasn’t shocking - last Tony had heard Norman was healthy and taking the biochemical world by storm. Not that Tony  _ liked _ the man but his death wasn’t exactly something he expected to hear about. 

“I have to go.” Peter didn’t explain more but, instead, started out the door without even throwing his jacket on. 

The problem with Peter was that he moved fast and ten years before Tony would have been able to keep up. But, old, greying, and with creaking joints, Tony had a bit more of a struggle matching his superhuman stride. He hustled down the street, looked at his wrists, swore -  _ swore _ , Tony didn’t think his ears had ever heard a swear from Peter - and hailed a cab when he realized he hadn’t worn his web shooters for that outing. Why would he? Tony had driven them. “What are you doing?” Tony yelled over at him. 

“He needs me!” Peter yelled back. 

“I brought a car, Parker.” 

A lightbulb lit up and he dropped his hand before a cab could stop. “Oh.” 

“Let’s go, kid.” Tony guided him without touching to the shining Audi on the curb. 

“We have to hurry.” Peter implored. 

“I know, Peter.” 

He went as fast as New York City traffic allowed him which, with Tony’s driving skills and Peter’s instincts, was rather quicker than a taxi would have been. Peter guided him to the hospital May worked at, told him to go to the emergency entrance, and had barely waited for Tony to pull the car to a stop before throwing open the door and running inside. “I’ll just… park the car then.” Tony said to the empty space, leaned across the gear shift, and pulled the passenger door shut. 

_ He _ . 

Peter had said  _ he _ which, Tony supposed, was a good thing. That meant it wasn’t May that had him acting so… irrationally. Plus, Tony was pretty sure that Peter wouldn’t have been able to recover if anything even mildly damaging happened to May Parker. Not after everything the two of them had been through together. 

He moved at a slower pace, parked the car with the valet and collected his ticket. He moved sedately, texted Pepper the sudden change of plans - she was supposed to meet Tony and Peter with Morgan for dessert - and hoped that Peter would still, somehow, be in the waiting room instead of with whoever it was that “needed” him. 

He hadn’t hoped for nothing, because Peter  _ was _ in the waiting room still, beside May and with his arms wrapped tightly around another young man. The first thing Tony noticed was bloody hands holding loosely to Peter’s back. The second thing he noticed was how tightly Peter was holding on - as though the other boy would fade into a gas and float away if he let go. The third thing he noticed was  _ who _ Peter was holding. The heir to the Osborn family.

He only allowed himself a moment of pause. 

May noticed him first, pressed a kiss to the forehead of both boys - Peter gave her a shaky smile in acknowledgement - and moved away from them to step to his side. Her hand was warm and gentle on his arm. “They’ve been together two years.”  _ Two years _ . He had kept that from Tony for  _ two years _ . 

He almost asked why before he thought he had found the reason. Tony never hesitated to be vocal about his dislike bordering on hatred feelings for Norman Osborn and what Oscorp tended to stand for. Peter had heard those rants so often he was sure he could quote them. Tony  _ knew _ he was a person that tended to judge before actually meeting someone and, even if Peter saw him as a mentor, there was  _ no _ reason why Tony needed to know that much about Peter’s personal life. He wasn’t May, he wasn’t his  _ family _ . 

He was just Tony. 

He took a deep, steadying breath. “What happened?” He nodded at the other boy’s hands, at the way Peter had finally let space grow between them just enough to hold onto freckled cheeks and brush a thumb under blue eyes to catch distraught, lost tears. 

May bumped her head on his shoulder. The look on her face wasn’t one of someone that had only known the victim for two years. “They’re saying Norman had a psychotic break.” 

Tony pursed his lips. The other boy, Harold - Tony remembered reading his name somewhere - was rushing to get out words but looked, mainly lost. Peter shushed him over the bustle of people, pressed a kiss to his forehead and cataloged injuries. Tony watched his fingers dance over a cut on the youngest Osborn’s forehead. “He attacked his kid?” 

“They were in the car,” May shook her head. “On the freeway. Norman had been off his antipsychotics for several weeks. He apparently said something about a ‘goblin’ being in the road, swerved, cut off four lanes of traffic and flipped the car going eighty.” 

A doctor interrupted Peter and the Osborn kid, a gentle hand reaching out towards them to beckon them into the waiting hospital room. Peter glanced over his shoulder, shot May and Tony a tight smile, and led the way, his hand on the other man’s back like a lifeline tether. “He was in the car?” 

May nodded. “Harry… has been going to medical school. He tried some life saving measures but…” 

The blood on the hands. The almost dull look in his eyes. Tony knew that look. Tony knew that  _ feeling _ . “But it didn’t work.” 

She shook her head slowly, hugged his arm for just a moment, and tugged him towards the doors Peter and Harry had just passed through. “He refused treatment until Peter got here.” 

“Two years huh?” It seemed a bit advanced of a relationship. Two years was a long time but the way Peter held him seemed more familiar. More nuanced. More… just  _ more _ . 

May chuckled and swiped her badge. The emergency room hallway was long, sterile, and busy - as it always was. Instead of leading him to the room Peter had gone into (with his  _ boyfriend _ ) she led him to the waiting room - walls painted a stale green and chairs perpetually uncomfortable. “They’ve been friends since they were around two. Richard used to work with Norman.” 

Ah. 

That made more sense. 

“I never liked the guy,” Tony said with a sigh and dropped into one of the chairs regardless of if his back would hate him for it tomorrow. “But I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” 

“Harry’s a good kid,” May sat down beside him, her brown eyes watery and expression tight behind her glasses. “He’s nice, funny,  _ smart _ .” She studied Tony then, as though she were seeing something in him that she hadn’t noticed until just then. “A lot like you, actually.” 

Tony’s eyebrow raised on its own accord. “Oh? Norman must have loved that.” 

“I’m sure he hated it.” May smiled a strong, but shaky, smile. 

They settled into silence, then. The sort of uncomfortable silence that was always hovering over Emergency Rooms. It was always the waiting that got Tony. He could deal with a lot of things, he  _ had _ dealt with a lot of things, but waiting always got on his nerves. The worst part was that he was mostly alone with his own thoughts. Peter hadn’t deemed Tony necessary to know about his long term relationship, about his  _ friendship _ with a business competitor. Tony was sure he had his reasons but, whichever they were, they were bound to hurt. Because Tony didn’t  _ care _ . The more he thought about it the  _ less _ he cared. Peter was his kid, whether he knew it or not, and as long as Tony’s kid was happy then he was happy too. 

“Hey,” May touched his shoulder gently and smiled as though she could see all of the thoughts swirling in his mind. “I didn’t know until last month.” 

Tony furrowed his brow. “Why wouldn’t he tell you?” 

“For someone like Peter… being completely, authentically  _ you _ takes more courage than putting on a costume to beat up bad guys every night.” 

Oh. 

It was… it was a coming out thing. Not… not a  _ family _ thing. Tension that Tony hadn’t even realized had built up bled from his shoulders. “I have their room number.” She shook her phone to emphasize and he stood, with a groan, when she did. 

The room the nurses had put them in was in the far corner, and had one other occupant sleeping when they entered. Peter was sitting on the bed, smoothing a hand down rust colored hair and speaking words too soft for Tony to overhear. And he had never looked so grown-up. So in love. 

It was clearly a moment of grief, Harry Osborn’s cheeks were red and flushed, his eyes were bloodshot and he had stitches on his forehead. The doctor had hooked him up to an IV, one for fluid from what Tony could see, and they had cleaned his hands as best as they could of the blood that had stained them. “Hey there, boys.” May announced their presence and Peter was the only one that looked up, the other man’s head settling itself on his shoulder instead. 

It hurt Tony to look at him. It was almost as though he was eighteen again and finding out about his own parent’s deaths. Rhodey had held him together, not as intimately as Peter was but all the same with love and care. Tony felt like an intruder, but some of the worry in Peter’s face seemed to go when he settled on him. “Tony I’m sorry I didn’t say anything….” Sooner. 

He didn’t have to say it. 

Tony’s lips found a sad smile. “Don’t worry about it, kid.” 

“Tony?” It was a croak and when Tony pulled his gaze away from his spider-kid, he noticed Harry sitting up quickly, wiping at his cheeks and almost  _ instantly _ looking much more put together than he had every right to be in that situation. “Peter, why is Tony Stark in my hospital room?” 

“I kinda ditched dinner with him.” Peter winced. 

May rubbed a hand on her nephew’s arm and caught his hand in her own to squeeze. “So you brought him to my  _ hospital _ room?” Harry almost squeaked and Peter ducked his head sheepishly. 

“I kind of had a one track mind, Har.” 

“I look like  _ shit _ .” 

“You look perfect.” 

“No, no, no, Parker.  _ Flattery _ will get you nowhere right now.” 

Peter huffed an amused noise and smiled fondly. He rolled his eyes in Tony’s direction. “You haven’t kicked me out yet.” 

“I  _ could _ .” 

“Boys,” May chided gently. 

“How’s your head?” Tony asked before he could stop himself. Blue eyes settled on him. 

Harry shrugged. “I’m okay.” 

“You’d be saying that in your grave.” Peter groaned. 

“Let you’re one to talk.” Harry shot back and then leaned forward to offer Tony his hand, caught sight of his clean palm and then thought better of it. “Sorry I…” 

“I’m sorry we didn’t meet under better circumstances.” Tony supplied as though he were the one to have started saying it in the first place. “But I didn’t really know you even existed until today so.” He shrugged and sent Peter a, hopefully, teasing look. 

The boy flushed. “Tony…” 

“Would you look at that,” Harry said dryly, his head flopping back down onto his pillow and eyes shooting up to the ceiling. “ _ You _ kept a secret.” He nudged Peter’s side and then winced almost immediately after. 

“It happens once in a blue moon.” May teased gently. 

Peter groaned. “Tony, this is Harry. Harry, this is  _ Tony _ .” 

“We literally just introduced ourselves, Peter.” Tony ruffled his hair and pat in the open chair beside him. “Keep up.” 

“I…” Peter threw up his hands in defeat. “I can’t win, can I?” 

“Never.” 

“Nope.” 

“I thought you knew that about yourself.” 

\--

It was only later,  _ much _ later, after the hospital had released Harry Osborn, the news had broken across every social media platform, and Tony had wrangled the mass of them back to his home that Tony got a moment alone with Peter. And he rather instantly noticed the slope to his spine, the way he pinched the skin between his nose and his eyes and the deep frown on his face. “He’s not going to be okay,” Peter said rather miserably after a deep, shaking breath. 

“He’s not going to be the same.” Tony amended for him and handed him a glass of ice cold water. “He’ll be okay. With time. With  _ you. _ ” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Peter looked at him earnestly, puppy dog eyes on display. “I wanted to, I really did. I was just….” 

“Peter, do you know the absolute worst feeling for a parent?” 

He licked his lips and shook his head slowly. “No.” 

Peter’s shoulder felt so small underneath Tony’s hand. “It’s realizing that your kid’s been suffering in silence and you didn’t even know.” 

“Tony….” Peter’s eyes were glazed with tears. “I didn’t… I  _ don’t _ …” 

“Come here, kid.” He pulled him into a hug, reminiscent of his younger days, and held his shaking shoulders in strong hands. “Are you happy?”

“Yes.” Peter croaked. 

“Then I’m happy. And hey,” He brushed a quick kiss onto Peter’s forehead. “We’re going to help him together, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

“Okay? I promise.” 

“Okay, Tony.” 

“And you know what? He’s pretty cute.” 

Peter laughed, a wet startled laugh. “Oh  _ god _ , I know.” 

“How did you bag that? No offense, Parker, but you’re like an eight and he’s a ten.” 

“I honestly have no idea.” 


End file.
